EVENING SITTING. Cemetery Board.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 319, 24 November 1888, Page 4

EVENING SITTING. Cemetery Board.

When the Synod resumed at 7 p.m., the Rev Mr. Tebbs moved, " That the report of the Cemetery Board be remitted to the Denominational Guardians to act upon it ; that the Denominational Guardians ask £10 f om each of the General Trust Boards and from Che Selwyn Memorial Fund tovai'ds the chaplain's stipend." Mr Tebbs stated that hitherto the Cemetery Board had been unable to obtain anything like payment of the chaplain's services. To show the way in which the chaplain was paid, Mr Tebb.s stated that for the ten months piior to the end of October last there were 94 church funerals, of which 24 were taken by other clergymen. Of the 70 funerals taken by the chaplain, 43 were Government funerals, for which he got nothing whatever. For the 57 others the chaplain got 7s 6d each, and the result was that he had for ten months been paid something liice £11, or not quite 2s 6d per day. On this the chaplain had to hold himself inreadine&s to act every day in the week. Mr Y. Rice seconded the motion. Mr Hammond asked why no charge was made for Government funerals. The President replied that the Government w ould not pay for pauper funerals. Mr G. Pierce objected to any money being; taken from the Selwyn Memorial Fund, ot which he was Treasurer. That Fund was set apart for religious services at the Hospital, Gaol, and Asylum, and he objected to it being frittered away. He would be inclined, were this resolution carried, to put the money into the Supreme Court and let those who wished to use it take it out. He would, in fact, put the money into Chancery. Mr Rice thought that in thi«, as in other matters, any resolution of the Synod should be respected. Rev. Mr Tobbs said that there was no intention to lay violent hands on the Selwyn Memorial Fund. The Pre&identpointed out that the motion was in the form of a request, which the Treasurer could decline. The resolution was submitted in two sections ; and the first was carried without dissent, as follows : " That the report be remitted to the Denoninational Guardians to act upon it." Mr Tebbs withdrew the balance of the motion, and subsfitu ted the words, "That the Denominational Guardians be requested to take under their notice the question of providing adequate means for the chaplain's stipend." Rev. Mr Hill said that censure was surely due somewhere, if Mr Alloway was promised a sum of money and did not receive it, and this was not the only case. He looked upon the matter as a sort of disgrace to the Synod. Rev. Mr Alloway stated that he was led to expect, at least, £42 per annum. Uev. Mr Tebbs added the furtner words " as well as the payment of any sum that may be due to him for his past services." Mr Upton suggested that the Synod say how the Denominational Guardians were to provide the money. The Denominational Guardians had no means of raising tlie^ money, and the present proposition was insulting to the chaplain. The Cemetery Committee had come to the conclusion that the only way to obtain his money was through the parishes, and he thought the Synod should put upon the parishes ,the responsibility. The existing state ctf affairs was scandalous, Either the clergy of the parishes must go out to bm-j their dead, or they must pay the mq,n that did it. The chaplain must live.

Rev. Mr Tebbs said that the Denomina- ' tional Guardians had the control of the cemetery, and they were simply asked to turn their attention to the matter. Mr Upton said that if the Denominational Guardians were to enforce a charge, let the Synod say so. To employ a man to do this work, and neglect to pay him for his ser- | vices, was little short of immoral. Mr Speight referred to the 47 Government burials. He presumed that the City Council gave the ground, and he thought that it was a fair charge upon the pioper authorities to remunerate the chaplain for for his services. The real question was, whether it was the duty of the Church to bury its poor dead or not. If the Synod did not see their way to pay the chaplain, they should cast back the duty of burial on the parsons of the parishes. Rev. Mr Tebbs said that the Government had absolutely refused to pay fees for ministerial services. The Govarnmen only paid the 2s 6d railway fee. Mr Rawlings said an arrangement was made that five parishes were to pay £10 each for a cemetery chaplain, and he questioned whether the arrangement was a good one. He thought that each person should be buried by the parson under whom he had eat. Some of the parishes declined to pay, and the answer was, "Well, bury your own dead." How the money was to be paid to Mr Alloway he did not know, but he felt that the Synod were in honour bound to see that he received what was due to him. The President stated that when the contributions were asked from the various parishes it was understood that the parish clergyman should bury those who had sat under them. R©v. Mr Tebbs stated that the clergy did not shirk their work in this matter, but they had to go to Waikomiti to bury all who claimed their services they would havo nothing else to do. Mr Pierce asked the President whether it was true that bodies had been taken to the Waikomiti Cemetery and the burial services read over them by the person who drove the cart out. Rev. Mr Tebbs stated that he did not know whether the driver of a cart had performed the funeral service ; but he knew of a case in which the undertaker, without consulting any clergyman, read the burial service himself. The Pi'esident suggested the advisability of relegating the whole matter to the town clergy. The motion was eventually passed as follows : " That the report of the Cemetery Board be remitted to the Denominational Guardians for them to act upon it ; that the Denominational Guardians, in conjunction with the Cemetery Board, be requested to take under their notice the question of providing an adequate stipend for the chaplain, as well as payment of any money that may be due to him for his past services. " Organising Clergyman. Consideration of Rev. W. Beatty's motion was resumed. The resolution was as fol- ' lows: "While the Synod recognises the necessity of such work asisbeingdone by the organising clei-gyman and his assistant, it considers that needy and deserving districts, ministered to by resident clergymen, have at least an equal claim on the Home Mission Fund, and recommend the Standing Committee to administer the fund in this spirit." Mr Beatty now expressed his willingness to withdraw the motion. Rev. Mr Hill said he found that there was £179 8s 3d due to this fund, and that the grantees had received notice that they were not to receive grants in the future, at any rate to the extent hitherto received. He did not see how Mr Beatty's resolution was to meet the difficulty, and the mistake made was that the fund was not properly divided. This discussion would have a deplorable effect unless something of a practical character were done. He hoped that some scheme would be devised by the Standing Committee for the better collecting of funds. The organising clergyman had been badly used by having been placed in a position which he ought not to have been put. in, by one who should have known better. Had he known what he did now, he would never have made remarks which he made afc the opening of this discussion. He considered that the motion implied censure on the Standing Committee, Mr Hammond complained that the Synod shirked responsibility in the matter instead of shunting it on to the shoulders of the Standing Committee. Dissatisfaction was expressed at the administration of the Home Mission Fund, and it was essential that the Synod should decide whafc really should be done. ' '

Archdeacon Clarke moved, " (1) That the Home Mission funds be devoted to the augmentation of deficiency in clerical stipends ; (2) that the funds of the Home Mission Society, together with any offertories made at the services of the organising clergyman be for the expenses of ministering fcodistricts notunderclericalsupervision; and (3) that offertories be made throughout the diocese each year for these two respective funds." Mr Speight seconded. The question was then raised whether this resolution was admissible, a somewhat similar resolution, moved by Mr Hammond, having been rejected yesterday. Archdeacon Clarke moved the suspension of the standing orders to enable the amend* ment to^be put. Mr Rawlings objected. The President ruled that the amendment was in order. Rev. Mr Hazelden said that he approved of the resolution moved by Archdeacon Clarke, which, he believed, would also have the support of the country clergy. Mr Rice urged that the effect of Archdeacon Clarkes resolution would be to place the country clergy in a worse position than they are at present. Mr Doonin urged that Archdeacon Clarkes resolution should be passed in order bo give ib a trial for a year. The quesbion was put to the vote, and the voices were about evenly divided. A division was called, and the result was as follows : — For Mr Beatty's motion : Clergy : ayes, 8 ; noes, 12. Laity : ayes, 8 ; noes, 9. The motion was therefore declared lost. Archdeacon Clarice's motion was put, and on the voices the President decided in favour of the ayes. A division was called, with the following result : — Clergy : Ayes, 12 ; noes, 7. Laity : Ayes, 9 ; noes, 8. " The amendment of Archdeacon Clarke was declared to be carried. Archdeacon Clarke moved " That the Standing Committee be requested to carry the resolution into effect." Mr Hammond seconded the motion, I which was carried.

Thanks. Archdeacon Clarke moved, and Rev. Mr Boler seconded, " That the Synod heartily thanks the lay-readers of the diocese for their services, and tenders them its sincere thanks." The motion was carried unanimously. Dr. O'Callaghan moved a vote of thanks to the Sunday-school Board, and especially to the Rev. P. Smallfield, and Rev. J. Bates, Secretary of the Board and editor of the Sunday-school lessons. Rev. Mr Boler seconded the resolution, which was carried. Archdeacon Clarke moved, "That the Synod desires to express its appreciation of the work done by the Most Rev. the Primate during his visit to Auckland, and its gratitude for his kindnes3 in coming, the President to communicate the same to His Lordship." Colonel Haultain seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Lodder moved that a vote of thanks be accorded to the press. Rev. Mr Tebbs seconded, and the resolution was carried.

Home Mission. Mr Pierce drew attention to the fact that the Standing Committee's report had not been adopted. The Synod went into committee to resume consideration of this report. Rev. Mr Hill moved, " That progress be reported," and this was agreed to. Progress was reported and the Synod resumed.

Diocesan Almanac. Rev. Mr Bates moved, "That the , managers of the ' Gazette ' be asked to print a Diocesan Almanac as heretofore." Mr Upton suggested that the almanac should be printed in the columns of the "Gazette" on the score of expense. The motion was lost.

Thanks. The President moved, " That the cordial thanks of the Synod be given to Colonel Haultain, Chairman of Committee," whiclr was carried. Votes of thanks were also passed to members of the Synod who kindly entertained visitors, and to the secretaries for their labours during the session. The Synod then concluded with the singing of the Doxology.